And she bowed to pressure from Holyrood by agreeing to appear before MSPs in public – three years after invitations were first sent to the UK Government.

Patel made her climbdown in a private meeting with MSPs on the welfare reform committee in Edinburgh yesterday.

During the closed-doors discussion, she was shown first-hand evidence of the cruel impact of Tory cuts.

The Record revealed last month how Mark Payne, a supermarket delivery driver from Port Glasgow, is one of a million Scots preparing to be hit by a raid on tax credits.

The 43-year-old and his partner, who have three children, stand to lose £2100 a year.

Payne previously said the family skip meals to make sure their kids eat.

The couple work two jobs for more than 60 hours a week.

Last night, Mark welcomed the prospect of meeting the UK minister.

He said: “They need to know that we don’t want to rely on benefits, but wages have stagnated and the cost of living is going up.

“I don’t go to work so I can get benefits.

Hugh Henry MSP (Image: Mark Runnacles)

“I go to work to earn enough money to feed and clothe the children.

“If the wages aren’t enough, people need a bit of help.”

Labour MSP Hugh Henry, convener of the welfare reform committee, highlighted the group’s fears for the future with Patel yesterday.

After the meeting, Henry said: “The committee has been trying for nearly three years to get a meeting in public and she’s finally agreed.

“It’s fair to say there were fundamental disagreements on the principles of the current UK benefit changes that have taken place.

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“She claimed they’re incentivising people into work.

“I raised with her cases the Daily Record had identified.

“She had no answer to that, but kept saying she believed benefit changes would help people into work. I asked her to meet them and other families and she agreed.”

Henry now wants Patel’s boss to follow her example. He added: “Iain Duncan Smith, for whatever reason, decided not to engage.

“He is the architect of this and should have the courage of his convictions and agree to meet us in public.

“He shouldn’t try to hide behind Priti Patel.”

The Employment Minister was appointed by David Cameron after his party’s victory in the general election.

Priti Patel took over from Ester McVey (Image: AFP/Getty)

She took over from Esther McVey, who was vilified for her approach to welfare reform.

Patel said: “Today’s discussions were positive and continue our pledge to ensure both Governments are acting in the best interests of Scotland and all of the UK.” Last month, Chancellor George Osborne made changes to working tax credits which will hit about 10million people UK-wide – a sixth of the British population.

Some of the worst effects will be offset by a boost to the minimum wage, but families will still be left badly out of pocket.

Shop workers’ union Usdaw warned three million families around Britain face an average loss of £1000 a year.

The figure jumps to an estimated 10million people in the UK – and a million in Scotland – when partners and children are included.

And the union claimed many households will lose between £1500 and £2500 a year.

The assault on household income will hit families on wages between £7000 and £25,000.